During the course of 24 hours, the composition and concentration of urine changes continuously. Urine concentration varies according to water intake and pretest activities. To obtain a specimen that is truly representative of a patient’s metabolic state, it is often necessary to regulate certain aspects of specimen collection, such as time of collection, length of collection period, patient’s dietary and medicinal intake, and method of collection. It is important to instruct patients when special collection procedures must be followed. For additional guidelines, see Appendix A: Standard Precautions for Prevention and Control of Infection and Appendix B: Guidelines for Specimen Transport and Storage.